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2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region

36 Ranked Colleges
2,925 Degrees Awarded
$18,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Civil Engineering is the 50th most popular major in the country with 21,388 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, civil engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $63,364 and had an average of $24,364 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,925 civil engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $62,958 and $25,172 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 36 colleges that offer a degree in civil engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality civil engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the civil engineering program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region civil eng students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Civil Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Akron Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Akron, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 82 diplomas to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

University of Akron Main Campus also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for great lakes region civil eng students.

Full University of Akron Main Campus Civil Engineering Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Platteville, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 96 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Platteville, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Platteville is $14,565 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 73 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,462 for great lakes region civil eng students per year to attend SIUE.

Read more about Civil Engineering at SIUE

4
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 273 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $13,377 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students per year to attend Purdue.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus

5
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Michigan University landed the #5 spot on the list. Kalamazoo, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 63 students in 2020-2021.

WMU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Michigan University is $20,371 for great lakes region civil eng students.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Western Michigan University

6

Youngstown State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. Youngstown State University is a fairly large school located in Youngstown, Ohio that handed out 54 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $12,225 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students.

Full Youngstown State University Civil Engineering Report

7

With a ranking of #7, Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. OHIO Athens is located in Athens, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 100 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

OHIO Athens did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus is $23,831 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Ohio University - Athens Campus

8

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 47 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,285 for great lakes region civil eng students.

Full SIUC Civil Engineering Report

9

With a ranking of #9, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue Northwest is located in Hammond, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Northwest is $11,384 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students.

Full Purdue University Northwest Civil Engineering Report

10

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 107 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

UC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC is $22,415 for great lakes region civil eng students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at UC

11

With a ranking of #11, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 403 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $14,321 for great lakes region civil eng students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

12

University of Toledo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. Toledo, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 57 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Toledo, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,312 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students per year to attend University of Toledo.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of Toledo

13

Lawrence Technological University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Southfield, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 31 diplomas to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

Lawrence Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $33,391 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students per year to attend Lawrence Tech.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Lawrence Tech

14

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 157 diplomas to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $17,234 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Madison

15

Cleveland State University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 81 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cleveland State University is $16,943 for great lakes region civil eng students.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Cleveland State University

16

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 133 diplomas to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,214 for great lakes region civil eng students per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Civil Engineering Report

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 60 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $17,486 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at UWM

18

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 174 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region civil eng students list, Ohio State has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,845 for great lakes region civil eng students per year to attend Ohio State.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Civil Engineering Report

19
Bradley crest
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Peoria, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

Bradley also took the #21 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bradley is $25,196 for great lakes region civil eng students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Bradley Civil Engineering Report

20

Michigan Technological University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. Michigan Tech is a public institution located in Houghton, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 87 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region civil eng students list, Michigan Tech has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,384 for great lakes region civil eng students per year to attend Michigan Tech.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Michigan Technological University

21

University of Dayton landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UDayton is located in Dayton, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 56 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region civil eng students list, UDayton has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $29,928 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students per year to attend University of Dayton.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at University of Dayton

22

University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #22. This medium-sized school is located in Evansville, Indiana, and it awarded 11 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,481 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students per year to attend USI.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at University of Southern Indiana

23
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Michigan State University is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 90 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $19,058 for great lakes region civil eng students per year to attend Michigan State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Michigan State University

24
Trine crest
Trine University
Angola, Indiana

Trine University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Angola, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $25,028 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students per year to attend Trine University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Trine Civil Engineering Report

25
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Marquette University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Marquette is a private not-for-profit institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 45 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Marquette also took the #13 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Marquette is $30,380 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Marquette University

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